Ranked 6 of 15 states · median $708/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old carpenter in Michigan pays a median $708/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 6th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $385 from Ambetter from Meridian in Genesee. On highest out-of-pocket maximum, Michigan ranks 6 of 15 for this occupation.
Trade work concentrates cost into rare, expensive events rather than spreading it across the year. That inverts the usual shopping logic: a lower premium with a $9,200 ceiling is a worse deal than a higher premium with a $6,000 one, because the ceiling is what you actually hit. These rankings follow the ceiling.
Occupational context: Saw and nail-gun injuries; hearing loss; back strain from lifting.
Worth being clear about what this does and does not affect: a carrier in Michigan cannot ask what you do for a living, cannot charge a carpenter more than a librarian of the same age in the same ZIP, and cannot exclude anything you were already treated for. Occupation only tells you which plan structure to shop for.
Premium is set by rating area, so a carpenter in one Michigan county can pay materially more than one an hour away. Six counties from across the state, cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old:
| County | Cheapest Silver @40 | Issuer | Deductible | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | $681 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 4 |
| Dickinson | $769 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 2 |
| Menominee | $769 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 2 |
| Tuscola | $438 | Ambetter from Meridian | $7,000 | 5 |
| Calhoun | $446 | Ambetter from Meridian | $7,000 | 6 |
| Ottawa | $471 | Oscar | $6,000 | 6 |
The spread across just these six is $331/month — $3,975 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $385 to $1,048. Coverage by County publishes all 83 Michigan counties individually.
| Michigan — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $6,500 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $10,600 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $409 — Ambetter from Meridian |
| Gold deductible | $2,000 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $385 — Ambetter from Meridian |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $538 |
For a carpenter, the gap between $6,500 and $10,600 in annual out-of-pocket maximum is worth more than any premium difference on this page. One serious injury reaches that ceiling regardless of which plan you picked.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 3,383 plan records across 83 Michigan counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680), Wisconsin ($687). More expensive: South Dakota ($725), Oklahoma ($731), Kansas ($765).
Side-by-side: Michigan vs Alabama · Michigan vs Wisconsin · Michigan vs South Dakota · Michigan vs Oklahoma
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Michigan is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a carpenter weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Expense categories that typically apply to this trade: Tools, truck, lumber, jobsite travel, liability insurance. Premiums are generally deductible above the line under IRC §162(l) when no employer plan is available to you or your spouse — a question for your CPA, not your agent.
If your household income is above the subsidy range, ACA is not automatically the answer. There are other categories of coverage that may fit, and they work very differently. That is a conversation, not a web page.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Michigan is $385 per month from Ambetter from Meridian, with a state median of $708. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
It cannot happen on an exchange plan. Rating in Michigan uses four inputs only: age, ZIP code, tobacco use and how many people are on the policy. Trade, injury history and pre-existing conditions are all excluded from pricing by law.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, HMO, PPO.
Michigan ranks 6 of 15 states covered here, at a median $708 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2026.
This occupation sits above the cliff in 1 of the 21 states reported and below it in the other 20, so the answer changes with the state.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in Michigan. BLS surveys wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed, so it is a benchmark for the occupation in this state — not the income of a self-employed carpenter. Premium tax credit eligibility is set by household modified adjusted gross income and household size, not by occupation, so treat this as a reference point rather than a determination of what you qualify for.
Why the cliff is back. The enhanced premium tax credits expired on 31 December 2025. For plan year 2026 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $62,600 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
This page compares states. For Michigan specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Carpenters in Michigan and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Right now 7 carriers file plans across the 83 counties of Michigan. Participation is reset annually, which is why Carpenters should check the roster in November rather than assume this year’s options carry over.
Nobody can tell you your 2027 Michigan premium yet. Filings nationally cluster around a 15% median increase, with the full spread running −1% to 54% — and until this state signs off, a specific local number is invention.
The window opens November 1, 2026, and December 15 is the date worth writing down — it is what secures January 1 cover in Michigan and everywhere else. You will find later dates quoted; they stem from a 2025 rule that was vacated in June 2026 and is under appeal.
All 83 counties in Michigan sell a PPO, which is unusual and useful. For a carpenter covering ground, it is the plan type that travels best.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between Michigan’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Rates for Carpenters in Michigan are set by county, not by occupation. Start with your ZIP and I will show you the plans actually filed where you live.